An Onondaga County man who bragged on Facebook about his hunting prowess was charged late last month with numerous violations of state Environmental Conservation Law for illegally shooting three bucks with a bow and a crossbow.

Dean P. Brutcher faces fines of up to $11,500, loss of hunting privileges and an additional criminal misdemeanor charge for signing a false statement.

According to state Department of Environmental Conservation Police, the investigation was sparked by a trio of Facebook posts where Brutcher boasted of killing two 8-point bucks during archery season. A state hunting license allows a hunter to take only one buck during the archery season.

While police were trying to locate Brutcher on Dec. 22, he posted a photo to Facebook of a third buck he'd slain, according to a press release from the DEC.

Police found Brutcher at his home in DeWitt later that evening where he "produced three 8-point racks to go along with a poorly concocted story about how and where he killed the deer," according to the press release.

DEC Officer Don Damrath determined that two of the three bucks had been killed over bait in a back yard in Brutcher's neighborhood, according to police.

Damrath also determined one of the bucks had been taken with a crossbow during archery-only season, and one of the bucks was never tagged.

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Damrath seized all three sets of antlers and Brutcher was charged with taking big game in excess of the bag limit; unlawful possession of protected wildlife; three counts of failure to report a deer take within seven days; take/kill deer wrong implement; two counts of unlawful deer kill; two counts of hunt over bait; and one count of enticing deer to feed within 300 feet of a highway.